It started as a whisper, just a slight touch of pain at the base of his nostrils, and never stopped tickling. In an attempt to ease the pain, George massaged the tip of his nose absentmindedly. But the ache remained, more pronounced with every instant that went by, like an unwanted guest lingering longer than they were supposed to.He attempted to ignore it at first, concentrating hard on the spreadsheet that was open on his computer screen. Even as graphs and numbers flew before his eyes, his thoughts kept returning to that excruciating itch. It was if something small had moved inside his nasal cavity and was trying to let everyone know about it.George sighed in disgust and reached for a tissue, thinking he would just rub his nose well and be done with it. But the more his fingers touched his flesh, the more it itched, as if mocking his weak attempts to scratch it.In search of a diversion, he took a quick look about the workplace. His colleagues were too busy doing their own thing to notice his plight. How could a small irritation like this require so much of his time and attention? It was as though the universe had chosen to punish him specifically for having a nose.George turned to more extreme tactics in his desperation for relief. He searched his desk for anything that could give him a moment's relief, anything as small as a pen cap or a paperclip or even the edge of a sticky note. Whatever it takes to itch that devil. A sneeze that would never go away threatened as he rubbed and scraped. George froze, trying in vain to delay the inevitable by holding his breath. However, it was useless. With such explosive intensity, his coworkers turned in shock as he sneezed, sending papers flying. George was embarrassed and could only smile sheepishly while gathering up the scattered documents. Suddenly, the itching had disappeared, and with it came a deep sensation of relaxation that almost seemed like bliss.George went back to his work, his suffering in the past, but now he was grateful for the small pleasure of not having itchy noses. However, he secretly knew that he would be prepared the next time that sneaky itch appeared. Equipped with tissues and resoluteness, he would confront it directly, resolved not to allow it to ruin his day once more.
